Written by Paddy Maddison in Tips & Advice on the 18th August 2016

When you’re shelling out your hard earned cash on your favourite items of clothing it’s only logical that you want to make them last for as long as possible. Everyday wear, spills, rips and even incorrect storage can all lead to the untimely demise of your favourite piece of kit. Follow these clever steps though, and you’ll get a lot more life out of your wardrobe.

Stop ripped jeans from further ripping 

Maybe you’ve bought some distressed jeans, or perhaps you have a favourite pair that are ripped just right in all the right places. Either way, just pick up some iron-on twill tape from any crafts shop, turn your jeans inside out and iron a strip on, either side of any holes. This will prevent the denim from tearing further.

Waterproof canvas shoes 

If you like to wear your Converse all year round but don’t like getting wet feet then here’s a handy tip for you. Pick up some wax (Fjallraven’s G1000 Greenland wax works nicely, as does beeswax), rub it onto the fabric ensuring you get an even coat and then blast your shoes with a hairdryer until the wax has disappeared into the material. Now you can spill drinks on your kicks to your heart’s content.

Save your sweaters shoulders 

There’s nothing worse than pulling your favourite jumper out of the wardrobe when the colder months roll in, only to find that the shoulders have stretched. You can combat this by buying thick wooden coat hangers or folding them away in draws – or, if that isn’t an option just put two thinner ones together for the same effect.

Avoid rips and nicks in the wash 

Have you ever found a tiny hole in a T-shirt after washing it and wondered where it came from? It’s because you put it in with an item that has a zip. Whenever you wash any item of clothing which has a zip on it make sure it is fastened up – This will prevent it catching on other garments and stop these little holes from appearing.

Stop colours from fading 

When you wash coloured clothes add a few pinches of salt to the rinse cycle on your machine and it well help them to stay vibrant.

Give dark items a dye bath 

If you wear a lot of black you’ve probably noticed that it doesn’t actually stay black forever. If your darker items are looking a bit tired then just pick up a dye kit, such as Dylon, and give them a quick soak to restore them to their former glory.

Don’t lose your buttons 

It’s irritating when buttons decide to go AWOL, but it’s also easily remedied. All you have to do is apply a small amount of clear nail varnish over button stitching and it will prevent them from popping off so easily.

Roll your T-shirts 

The iron is a handy tool but it can also shorten the lifespan of your clothes. Instead of ironing a T-shirt every time you take it out from your drawer you can keep it un-creased by folding it in half lengthways and rolling it up for storage rather than folding.

We focus on cleave clothes storage tips in this guide to 8 Clever Tricks To Make Your Clothes Last Longer.